Bottle carrier



June 9, 1942. H. E. BRUNHOFF BOTTLE CARRIER Filed June 22, 1940 Patented June 9, 1942 BOTTLE CARRIER Henry E. Brunhoff, Wyoming, Ohio, assignor to The Brunhofl Manufacturing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 22, 1940, Serial No. 341,932

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a metal case or basket for packaging and hand carriage of a group of bottles, particularly of a domestic or retail supply, as a half dozen lot of beverage bottles.

An object of the invention is to provide a metal hand carrier or basket for bottles of a simple and inexpensive construction for sustaining and confining a group of bottles in an upright position, and which will permit stacking of the units, one upon another.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully apparent from a description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carrier or basket, containing a group of beverage bottles with the handle in a lowered position.

Figure 2 is an end view thereof, with the handle in an upright position.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3, Figure l,

2 protruding from its under side marginally inward from the edge thereof, and following the outline of the base to circumference the tops of a group of bottles as when arranged in two adjoining rows of three bottles each, with one unit stacked upon another. A pair of central embossments 3 protrude centrally from the upper side of the base to channel the base and laterally confine the bottom of the bottles within the base.

A pair of correspondingly shaped relatively opposite sheet metal side walls 4, 4, are respectively fixed at their lower end to the upwardly extending flange 5 of the base. The walls at their upper ends are bent laterally to provide end wall sections or inwardly extending wings 6, having their side edge tapered inwardly to the lower edge of the wall so as not to extend over the opa binding strip 8, enclosing the strip and reinforcing the upper edge of the wall with the opposite ends of the strip extending slightly beyond the wings of the wall. The binding strip for one of the walls has its extremities each bent into the form of a hook 9, into or through which a handle link I0 engages or traverses. The link I0 provides a hinged extension for the limb ll of the handle or bail l2, and has its outer end pivotally connected to an extremity of the binding strip of one of the side walls. The link at its end connecting with the side walls is of U- form, for pivotally joining with the extremity of the binding strip 8 of one wall, and for engagement with the hook shaped end of the binding strip of the opposite wall to adapt the same in an active and carrying position to tie the walls together. As the structure of the side walls permits them to yield, they ,will be drawn inwardly when the links ID are, as shown in Figure 2, moved to an active position, bringing the top edge of the walls into binding contact with the bottles, locking the same within the case.

The bails l2 being pivotally connected to the links can be lowered without disturbing the wall latching position of the links H] for stacking the cases filled with bottles, one upon another. The handle or bail falls within the limits of the base or upon the top edge of a wall to conserve packing space, and may be lowered to either side. The upper ends of the links 10 are below the height or top of the bottles, so that the bail connecting end of the link can remain in its vertical or dead-central wall latching position for shipment with the bail lowered within the outline of the wall or base. The walls are readily released from their grip upon the bottles by depressing and swinging the bail outwardly and downwardly unlatching the links, in which instance the bail will extend beyond the line of the body of the case, leaving the bottles clear to be conveniently withdrawn.

The binding strip, midway of the width of each of the walls, is. recessed as at H, to project inwardly from the vertical plane of the wall for engagement with the central bottle of the group to confine the same against displacement when the walls are latched. For the end bottles of the group, the beading for the top of the walls provides sufficient grip upon the bottles to withhold the same against displacement when the walls are latched.

The basket or carrier can be manufactured at a minimum cost to give its use preference over paper carton types of carriers, offering a greater durability and providing for stacking the cases one upon another, which is of advantage in shipping and storage.

The sides and base are preferably made of sheet metal as offering a greater stability, and the sides provide considerable advertising or display area desirable to the bottler; although it is obvious that they could be made of wire work or other materials, and the sides and base integrated in fabrication or hingedly connected to render the structure knock-down.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A bottle carrying case, comprising a base for sustaining a group of bottles in an upright position, a pair of side walls respectively fixed to the opposite sides of the base and adapted to yield inwardly of the case. each wall above the base having its opposite ends extending laterally inward to overlie the base and confine the bottles within the ends of the case, and a bail having the end of each limb thereof extending at an angle to provide a link fOr connecting the opposite inturned ends of the walls, pivotally connecting to the inturned end oi. one wall and slidingly connecting with the inturned end 01' the second wall, to draw the walls toward each other and impinge the side portions thereof against the bottles interposed therebetween when the case is sustained by the ball.

2. A bottle carrying case comprising a base for sustaining a group of bottles in an upright position, a pair of side walls respectively fixed to the opposite sides of the base and adapted to yield inwardly of the case, each wall above the base has its opposite ends extending laterally inward to overlie the base and confine the bottles within the ends of the case, and an articulated bail providing an intermediate handle portion and a pair of links respectively pivotally connecting to the opposite ends of the handle portion, each link at one end extending at an angle and pivotally connecting to the inturnedend of one wall and slidingly connecting with the inturned end of the second wall binding the opposing inturned ends of the, walls together and drawing the walls toward each other for 1mpinging the side portions thereof against the bottles interposed therebetween when the case is sustained by the handle, the handle section of the bail in its pivotal connection with the links being adapted to be moved downward alongside one of the walls below the height 01' the bottles for stacking a plurality of bottle containing cases one upon the other without releasing the binding connection of the links with the opposing inturned ends of the walls.

HENRY E. BRUNHOFF. 

